1.19.2014

Bountiful Blessings Part 1

I've already shared these blessings with many of you, but in case you haven't heard about the awesomely kind experiences God arranged for me in connection with my surprise trip to Belize over Christmas Break, this is for you. My hope is that you come away with a deeper sense of the loving character of our God!

In case you haven't heard, I've kind of adopted the MOVE Missionary Training Institute. I am currently in school, and while there are tremendous opportunities for outreach, my ability to do foreign missions is somewhat limited by that fact. So God, knowing how much I appreciate foreign mission experiences, and looking for ways to stretch a

nd teach me, has kindly connected me with a terrific group of missionaries in Belize. I've been to visit a couple of times in the past year to help out with various projects, and each has been the occasion of much growth, blessing, adventure, and divine appointments.

So when I heard that MOVE was going to be hosting a Missions Congress in December, I definitely wanted to participate if God opened the doors. However, when several friends from MOVE contacted me at the beginning of November to ask me if I was coming, I had to admit that it didn't look like I was going to be able to come. First of all, the conference was scheduled for December 19–22, and my exam period didn't end until December 20. Second, the price of roundtrip tickets to Belize is normally around $700, but since it was right around Christmas, the price was even higher. I don't currently have a job, and I didn't feel like I could afford to spend that much money from my savings.

I regretfully replied that it didn't look like I would be able to come, but I would keep praying about it. I then proceeded to plan my Christmas Break without a trip to Belize. Towards the end of December, while dreaming about visiting MOVE during Spring Break, I happened to see an ad on Google for cheap tickets to Belize. I never click on those ads. (I am mystified that anybody does, but also thankful that whole world doesn't have my philosophy, because then there wouldn't be any Gmail, or Blogger, or Voice, etc.) Anyway, I saw an ad that listed a flight for Belize for $400. I clicked on it, just for information's sake, with very low expectations, and discovered that it was referring to a flight in December! From Charlotte, NC (about two hours from where I live)!

Let me explain. I have looked for tickets from the US to Belize many times over the past year, and I have never seen any for below $650–$700, at least from my general area. Now, less than a month before the busiest time of the year for Belize tourism (I think that's a safe assumption), a ticket opens up for half of what it had been just three weeks earlier, and substantially cheaper than I had ever previously (or since) seen it! Wow! God is amazing!

There was just one other problem. To get a seat for the price, I would have to leave early in the morning on Wednesday, December 18. But I had one final scheduled for Wednesday the 18th, one on Thursday the 19th, and a paper due Friday the 20th. :(

But wait! Just a few days before, the professor administering the exam on Thursday had decided to switch the exam format from a three hour in-class exam to an eight hour take-home exam, available any day of exam period! I immediately (at 10:00 pm) wrote to the professor in charge of my Wednesday exam and asked if there was any way I could take the exam the day before. Long story short, by the next morning, he had worked out a unique arrangement with the Registrar to allow students in his class to take the exam either on Tuesday or Wednesday! The next day, after some serious prayer, counsel with my parents, and not much sleep, I purchased the tickets.

That was when the real miracle began. Because I had committed to flying to Belize on Wednesday the 18th, that meant that I had to make do with an exam period 33% shorter that of my classmates. I had just three and a half weeks to finish my classes, write a paper about constitutional interpretation, and study for and take three eight-hour exams (Religious Liberty, Intellectual Property, and Nonprofit Organizations). Needless to say, I lived a pretty concentrated life for that period of time, but God is faithful! Thanks especially to the prayers and encouragement of my family and some dedicated friends, I endured, and at 3:30 am Wednesday, December 19, I was in my car, on my way to catch a plane to Belize!

(to be continued)

1 comment:

Sorry - I was getting too many spam comments so I turned on moderation. As long as you're not a bot or a troll, I'll approve your comment :)